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M10 - Smoke and Mirrors
It takes several hours to travel to the palace, those inside the carts silently contemplating what is about to occur. As they draw close, the swampy landscape shifts into expansive fields dotted with birch tree groves, and Kamen signals for the carts to stop. Everyone leaves the carts, hiding them in a nearby grove of trees before walking the last few miles to Kaoru’s palace. : So, what’s our plan? Do we confront her head-on? : Hardly. You will tell her that Sho-sama asked you to come and check up on her, as he hasn’t heard from her since he sent the messenger. : And you should also tell her about Nobuhide-sama’s death. : Like she’d care! She’ll probably cackle like the hag she is! : Be that as it may, you will inform her of what has happened in her absence, as part of our pretense. : You keep saying ‘you,’ don’t you mean ‘we’? : No, just you, Bon, Kaito and the Aetherians will approach her. You must buy some time for Aoi, Kyo, and I to… complete a mission. : Kamen-sama? What do you--? : Just follow my lead, I have direct instructions from Nobuhide-sama. : Taking orders from actual ghosts now? The spirit in the shell back home not good enough? : From Nobuhide-sama’s letter, the one he had delivered to Sho-sama. I should not have to explain myself any further than that: Aoi, Kyo, come. The Accelgor darts off, Aoi and Kyo in pursuit, and Bon harrumphs, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting after the ninjas, : YO! I expect a FULL EXPLANATION later, whether you WANT TO or NOT! : Shuhh, Bon, shut up! We’re supposed to be visiting Kaoru, not yelling across her yard! : Shut up yourself, no one’s here, it’s like a ghost town around here. The frog’s words, while spoken harshly, ring true: as they approach the entrance to Kaoru’s palace, there is no one to greet them, and all of the buildings’ windows are shuttered, presumably to keep out the weather. With the exception of the rain, it is very quiet, not a single sign of life in the entire palace complex, and Nicholas’ paw strays to his sword hilt… just in case. : Okay. Someone has to say it, even though it’s cliché. It’s quiet -- too quiet. : (drawing satisfaction from the tremor in Bon’s voice) What’s the matter, you scared? : Scared -- me? Kid, you forget who you’re talking to? I am Bon, member of the -- actually, you don’t need to know its name right now, point is, I don’t scare eas-- A boom of thunder shatters the quiet, and Bon almost jumps out of his skin, whirling with a cocked fist at nothing. He sees Nicholas smirk knowingly then hurriedly lowers his hand, clearing his throat. : That was nothing. Just a reflex. If there had been an assassin there, whoo, I would’ve had him. : Sure you would’ve. : Right then, let’s get inside and meet the traitor. He charges ahead, Kaito on his heels, and Nicholas allows himself a quick snort of amusement… then glances to his left, where a statue grins from atop an altar tucked between two homes. Its eyes are hollow, but the benevolent look on its face seems more sinister in the reflection of the lightning lacing across the sky, and the Umbreon quickens his pace, suddenly uneasy. His mood doesn’t better as he reaches the main palace. Ducking inside the low-lying set of connected buildings, Nicholas immediately reaches for the edge of his cape, shoving it against his nose. The scent of incense is thick, cloying even, and there is a pinkish haze in the air, clouding thickly along the floors. : (voice muffled behind his cape) I know she’s a healer, but this seems like a bit much, doesn’t it? What is this stuff? : Whatever it is, it’s makin’ me tingly in all the wrong places. (covers his mouth and nose with his scarf) Kaito, I need you to stay sharp. : (copies Bon’s movements, nodding sternly) : Alright, good. C’mon, we follow the smell, I bet we’ll find her… The group follows the misty trails, trying not to breathe in too much of the smell. It gets heavier and heavier as they go, and Nicholas can feel it sticking to his muscles, slowing him down, making him dizzy. Walls sag, shift, shimmy away, and the floor is melting beneath him, but he keeps going, walking across the oozing floorboard -- and reaching the double doors leading to Kaoru’s room. : (eyeing the thick smoke leaking from underneath the doors) You ready, kid? No telling what’s in there. : It’s just an old lady, Bon. (with a half-hearted smirk) How tough can she be? : Famous last words… He shoves the doors open, mist rolling out like a carpet and swirling about their feet. The room beyond is simply decorated, with just a cushion in the center of the room, surrounded by several bowls of herbs. There are no windows, the only source of light being four tall candlesticks casting weak rays across the room from each corner: but they are doing a pitiful job, as shadows creep around them unhindered. And lying completely still on the cushion is Kaoru. : I-Is she--? : Dead? God I hope so, makes our job easier. A soft noise -- a cross between a snore and a sigh -- echoes from the Musharna, and Kaoru slowly bobs up from the cushion, a little wobbly from sleepiness. She rotates to face them, eyes still at half-mast, yawning even as she smiles at them kindly. : Oooh, hello, what a nice surprise… I did not know I was expecting company… : I’m sorry, dears, but remind me… who are you again? : (exchanging glances with Bon) I’m Prince Nicholas, from Aether, remember? And this is Bon and Kaito, from Sazanami, and the others are Aetherian citizens. : Ahhh, yes… I remember now… from the lovely tea party Sho-san held… : … mmm, so lovely… : Kaoru-sama? Are you well? : (under his breath) Easy, kid, don’t feel sorry for it… : Y-Yes, dear, I’m fine… just exhausted, lots to do, lots to do… : But tell me… why are you here? : Oh, right, we came because… um, because… : (puffs out his chest and gut, imitating a Hariyama’s stance) : Yeah, that’s right. Sho-sama, he sent a messenger here, and he hasn’t gotten your reply. : A message… hmm, I haven’t seen his message… : (under his breath) Sure you haven’t, and I’m a Mankey’s uncle. : Well, we can tell you what he said, if that’s okay. : Oh, that would be lovely… What did he want to tell me? : His message was about… : … : Funny. I-I just forgot. What did he write, Bon? : Heck if I remember. Besides, we’re not here to play mailmen. : We’re not? Then why are we here? : That’s easy, we’re here to… to… : Huh. I don’t know. Kaito, you got anything? : (shakes head) : Oh, that’s too bad… Was it important? : Pretty sure it was. I think… it might’ve even been life or death… : There was definitely “death” involved… Someone important… : My, my, how horrible! : You don’t remember who... do you? : (screwing his eyes shut, thinking hard) N-No, I can’t… : Good. : The hell?! : Hmm? Is something the matter, Bon? The frog rubs at his eyes. For a fraction of a second -- a blink, really -- Kaoru’s face had morphed into something truly terrifying. But now, she’s her usual sleepy self, and he struggles to regain his senses, willing his facial expression to relax to emptiness. : No. Everything is fine. : Good~! : Now, back to you, dear Nicholas… Do you know why you’re here? As Nicholas shakes his head, Bon feels something in his gut that he hasn’t felt in years: panic. Even Kaito is affected, gaze shifting double-time, trying to catch something they missed. Bon does the same, scanning the room’s perimeter, seeing nothing but wooden paneling, candlestick, Kaoru, more wood --'' ''WHAT. He stares at the second Kaoru, floating silently towards the door behind them. Obscured by clouds of familiar-smelling pink smoke, she has almost reached the exit, a devious grin on her face. Bon whirls, realizing that the Kaoru the others are staring at is flickering, like a bad Double Team -- but no one seems to notice, still speaking nonsense to the fading image. : (thinking) “Sorry, bug, I have no idea what you were planning, but we don’t have time to spare.” With a practiced flick, Bon sends a throwing knife towards the second Kaoru, aiming just in front of her. The blade flies past, just inches from her nose, and the first Kaoru stutters for a moment -- then blinks out of existence as Bon tackles Kaoru, the REAL Kaoru, shoving her against the wall. : Huh? Where’d she go? : You can trick my eyes, WITCH, but as long as I know I’m holding you, all I need to do is not let go! To Bon’s and everyone else’s shock, Kaoru laughs: a twisted, heart-pounding sound that reverberates in ways that defy physics. With each chuckle, pink smoke pours out from her body, seeping into every corner, and a heaviness settles onto Bon’s limbs, arms straining to keep Kaoru in place. : Poor, naive simpleton! You think you can hold onto SMOKE?! No, all you can do is let it SMOTHER YOU! Flames surge from the candles, sending globs of wax down onto the floor, sucking the Aetherian citizens into their sticky embrace. Kairo’s scarf rears back and, like a striking snake, wraps around his head, covering his face and eyes. Nicholas chokes against his cape, going white as a sheet… And Bon sets his jaw in frustration. : This isn’t real, it CAN’T be real. Just her dream mist, making illusions. : Bon, Kaito, everyone! I’m s-so sorry! : Kid? You okay? : There… there’s so much b-blood… : The hell are you seeing? : Whatever I WANT him to see! I feed off of his darkest fears and give them life -- or, in his case, DEATH! : You stupid, fog-filled bit--! His mouth unexpectedly shuts. Bon tries to insult Kaoru again, but he can’t move his lips, and he scowls at the Musharna as she sniffs haughtily. : You shouldn’t speak to your elders like that. : Of course, you won’t be speaking ever AGAIN once I’m done with you! : (holdings his hands over his ears) No, no, stop screaming, I can’t--! : (spinning in place, unable to see anything) : (thinking) “Dammit, no time for dreaming now, need to end this now!” : Ohh-ho-HO, this is rich! Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil: well, it’s not helping you now, IS IT?! The evil is here, strengthening me, making me STRONGER than ALL of you! : (thinking) “We’ll see about that!” Bon tightens his grip on Kaoru with one hand while pressing his claw against her throat. At the touch of talon to flesh, Kaoru’s eyes flicker with surprise, and the energy keeping his mouth shut loosens, finally allowing Bon to speak. : You’re not strong enough to deal with ME, ya old hag! Now say your prayers, you’re about to meet your maker! : What…? W-Who are you? : The one that’s about to spill your stinkin’ blood all over your floor. : Oh n-no, please, what did I do to you? : Huh, you have some sort of memory loss of the last five seconds? You know what you did. : I don’t know, Bon, seems like she doesn’t. : Good, you’re better, now hold her still while I gut her like the flying pig she is. : I-I’ll do whatever you ask, anything, just… just don’t hurt me! : Bon, don’t do it, you’re upsetting her! : (gaze shifting towards Nicholas) Not this again, listen, kid, I know what I’m-- A wave of energy slams into him, sending him skidding backward in Nicholas and Kaito. The three of them (and the Aetherians, back from their candlewax prisons) stare as Kaoru rises towards the ceiling, all traces of sadness gone. : AHAHAHA! You fell for it -- like all the others before you! Now you shall pay for your mistakes with your LIVES! : (glowering at Nicholas) Great job, you broke my concentration! Now I have no CHOICE but to kill her! : Is that SERIOUSLY the only option you can think of?! Just stun her, that should be enough until-- : NOW! Kamen, Aoi and Kyo burst into the room, hugging several bottles holding smoke of many colors… and Kaoru’s face drops, dream mist thinning. : You have the… how? How did you find them? : It’s over, Kaoru-sama -- or whoever you are. : Who… ever? : Release her -- (hefts a bottle towards her) -- NOW! The Musharna freezes, eyes shrinking to pinpricks even as tears flow from them, staining her cheeks and priestess robes in misery. All of the fog dissipates as she collapses towards the floor, dissolving into a mess of emotions, broken and deflated. : O-Over… What have I-I… : Kaoru-sama? (starts to approach her) Are you--? : (tugs on Nicholas’ arm, stopping him and shaking his head) : Wow, who knew the old biddy was so afraid of bottles. : It is not the bottles themselves, it is what is inside the bottles. : And we can use ‘em to free her mind! : … What are you talking about? : Umezawa-sama is not controlling everything. In fact, she is not the true traitor. : What?! : I KNEW it, Goro was lying, that prick! : Regret killing him yet? : Not even a little. : Goro spoke the truth: Kaoru-sama was the one who hired him to kill the heirs… and to kill Nobuhide-sama. : But she did not act within her own faculties. She was being manipulated by another, more sinister being behind the scenes. : And how do you know this oh-so-fascinating news that you haven’t bothered to tell us about until now? : In Nobuhide-sama’s note to Sho-sama, he said that he suspected that Kaoru-sama was just a front for the real traitor, a tool that the malevolent ‘mon could discard once their dark deeds were finished. So, he urged Sho-sama -- who in turn urged me -- to find a way to break Kaoru-sama from their control. : He knew first-hand of her dream therapy sessions, and having taken note of how the dreams from the appointments were kept in a storage room, he guessed that there might be a secret storage where the “stronger” dreams were kept, the ones that the traitor was using for their purposes. And in there was sure to be Kaoru-sama’s own dream bottle, what the traitor was ultimately using to puppeteer her. : So you went looking and found them. : Correct. Nobuhide-sama’s hunch was right, we discovered a secret panel in the back of the storage room, behind the dream bottles displayed “for show.” We weren’t sure which one was hers, so we took as many as we could carry. : So, what, we’re just gonna throw each bottle at her and hope one of them does something? : Essentially. Nobuhide-sama was sure that with the right bottled dream, she could confirm who the real traitor is… and now is the time to see if his last words ring true. The Accelgor takes a bottle filled with orange-yellow smoke and goes towards Kaoru who shrinks away from him -- but before he can get close, the doors bang open and something jumps over everyone’s heads, landing with a clatter of hooves in front of Kaoru. : Get AWAY from her, FIENDS! : Hanako?! What are YOU doing here? : Saving Kaoru-sama from the likes of YOU, apparently. : Are you alright, Kaoru-sama? Can you get up? : I-I… I d-did… ohh, n-no… : Kaoru-sama… : What did you DO to her?! : Nothing, she messed her own damn brain up. : Please, Hanako-sama, we want to help-- : And let you within a mile of her? Not a chance! : Yeah, you tell ‘em, Hanako! Everyone (except Kaoru) jumps: Eboshi shoves her way through the crowd, standing beside Hanako who is gawking at her in quite an undignified manner. : Eboshi? What are you doing here? : Is there an echo in here? : I had a feeling you’d be here, helping Kaoru-sama with her healing, especially with the storm and everything. The other warlords weren’t having any luck getting in contact with you, so I decided to come here by myself, to see if I can help. : (closing her agape mouth and snickering) That is completely unnecessary, I have everything under control. : I want to do something -- no one else is letting me do anything! : I’m not useless… : KAORU-SAMA! : I mean, c’mon, I found HIM, didn’t I? The Drowzee assistant hurries into the room, making a beeline for Kaoru who cowers pitifully on the floor. He places a hand against her back, and the Musharna shivers at his touch, making his eyes round with concern. : What are the Aetherians and these roguish-looking strangers doing here? Have they done something to you, Kaoru-sama, please, answer me! : I was just about to find that out. (She stomps a hoof, glaring down the bridge of her nose at Kamen, the closest target of her aggression.) Now talk -- and know that if I dislike what you have to say, I shall stomp this hoof on something other than the floor. : (eyeing the hoof perfectly designed to squish him) I have no doubt that you would, Hanako-sama, but I urge that you withhold judgment until you have heard our complete tale. : I will vouch for all that he says. You have my word as prince of Aether that what he tells you is true. : You do realize that I am not Aether’s biggest fan? : And yet I would hope that you would put that bias aside when you hear what has been happening to your country. : … Somehow I do not remember you being so bold last we met. : Very well. Explain what is going on here. : If you recall, when Isas-sama and Shino-sama began their battle in the mountains, the Aetherians were tasked to bring in Ju-long, who had been framed as an assassin. They did their duty, but Sho-sama had received prior knowledge from Nobuhide-sama regarding the intricacies of the plan to destroy Sazanami from within, and he acted accordingly to bring the Aetherians to the master of the Semi no Tamashī so they could begin to understand how to fix our many problems. : We discovered the way to stop Wei-Guang from conquering us, but we always knew there was a threat on the island, a driving force behind the tragedies in not one but three nations. And that traitor, as told to us by the ninja leader she employed to perform these heinous deeds, is the ‘mon behind you: Kaoru-sama. Beside Kaoru, Inoue covers his mouth with his hand, surprise flitting across his gaze, and Eboshi frowns, reaching up to rub the back of her neck: but Hanako just laughs, sneering at Kamen in disbelief. : Kaoru-sama, a traitor?! Insane, ludicrous! That ninja leader obviously lied to you! : That’s what we thought too, but now we’re sure Kaoru-sama hasn’t been working alone, that she’s being controlled by someone else. : Preposterous. Kaoru-sama has one of the strongest minds around, she would not be so easily manipulated. : It’s more complicated than we think… : If you insist on being a part of this, speak up. : (grumbling) Alright, bossy-antlers, I think you should really consider what they have to say. : Surely you’re joking! : ‘Cause, well, think about it: weren’t you with Kaoru during the Emperor’s murder and the attack on Yamatai? : If you are suggesting that I’m also a traitor, then you are more stupid than I thought. : I may not have a record of being the brightest or right about things, but couldn’t you… I dunno… tell us if there was something strange you noticed, or someone, anything? : (lifting a brow) And I should humor your request because...? : (meeting her gaze evenly) I’m calling in the favor you owe me. You know, when we used to be friends. : Hmph, well, if you truly want me to participate in this useless endeavor, then fine. I do not remember many concrete details regarding that time: I was nine at the time, after all. It was also when my other former friend decided to crash a tree on me, and I was confined to bedrest in this very palace, just down the hall. : There wasn’t much for a nine-year-old to do when forced to stay in bed. Kaoru-sama tried to speed my healing along, but she was tired, I could tell. Luckily she had her servant at her side to help her… Hanako’s nostrils suddenly flare, and one ear flicks as her eyes narrow, voice shifting into something darker… : Actually, now that I think about it… whenever the servant helped Kaoru-sama with my healing sessions, I always had bad dreams afterward, sometimes during the day. They were horrible, shadowy affairs, of things just out of sight that I couldn’t run from… and he would gather data from my nightmares, take notes when I told him of them. : And then, while he was away, the Emperor died, and he told Kaoru-sama what happened when he returned. Kaoru whimpers, eyes screwing shut, and Inoue leans close to his master, slowly rubbing her back comfortingly... : Kaoru-sama was so sad, shocked by the Emperor’s murder, rightfully devastated-- : But she was still herself, tried to put on a happy face for me. It was only after she went to bed for the night and emerged the next morning that things began to change. She still attempted a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes, never again, and she decided to appoint the servant as her top assistant. : I thought it was just to support her during the stressful times, but he was always at her side, like an extra shadow, and he was the one who -- She gasps, turning to see Inoue whispering into Kaoru’s ear, and Hanako’s ears fold back over her head as she shakes her antlers (almost dislodging Fujita from her perch). : YOU! Enough of your games! This ends HERE! Green mist flies from Hanako’s antlers. The Aromatherapy spreads throughout the room, snapping everyone out of the last vestige of Kaoru’s dream mist, and Inoue scowls, lips moving faster to finish whatever incantation he was using. : Get him away from her -- NOW! Kaito springs forward, landing in-between Inoue and Kaoru and swinging a kunai towards Inoue to knock him away. As the Drowzee shuffles out of the kunai’s reach, a glint of light sparkles from a dream bottle hanging around his neck, and Kaito’s mouth drops open, reflexively shielding Kaoru with an outstretched arm. Across the room, Kamen and Bon notice Kaito’s look and follow his gaze towards Inoue’s neck. : That bottle! BON! : On it! Before Inoue can react, Bon slashes the necklace with his claw, sending bottle and beads scattering across the floor. The bottle clatters and rolls to a stop near Nicholas’ feet, and the Umbreon leans down to pick up the bottle then turns to give it to Kamen. : I think this is the bottle we’re looking for -- (holding out the bottle) -- why don’t you use it on--? : NO! : Don’t give it to him! Kaito swipes the bottle away, just as Kamen is about to take it -- and glowers at Inoue who has his hand in the air, psychic energy swirling about his fingertips. : Oh, what a shame: you were smart enough to realize my powers don’t work on your kind. : But then again, every dumb dog has its day~ : First Sato, now you: why are all of our assistants betraying us? : Must have something to do with your stellar personalities. : (muttering to Kaito) Would it be wrong of me to say that I admire this guy’s sass? : (stares) : (grumbling) Yeah, thought so. : Ah well, if at first you don’t succeed -- try another pawn! Inoue snaps his fingers, a spark of energy darting into the air -- and Eboshi suddenly goes limp. She is dragged like a ragdoll across the room and flung into Inoue’s arms, one going around her waist while the other is around her chest. Her horn turns to bite him, but Inoue simply blinks, and the horn closes, held in place by his power. : My, my, it feels WONDERFUL to finally shed this facade after more than twenty years~! (He leans into Eboshi’s ear, snout inches from her cheek.) Nothing personal, dear, you just make an excellent sacrifice. : Let her go, villain! : Gladly -- if you give me the bottle in the Greninja’s hand and let me go on my merry way. : And if we refuse? : Then she will die: slowly and painfully. : Go for it, we’ve got more warlords where she came from! : WHAT? Keeping a firm hold on his hostage, Inoue’s eyes flick downward, a pink glow surrounding the ribbon holding the small bell at Eboshi's waist. The knot that ties it to the Mawile's obi comes undone, floating up towards her neck in a snake-like manner before coiling around it as Inoue grin widens. The ribbon starts to constrict around her neck, squeezing hard. The Mawile’s eyes start to bug out of her skull, as the ribbon starts to cut into her skin, and the tiny bell attached to it jangles as she struggles to breathe. : That wasn’t a request. : Guys, she’s CHOKING! GIVE HIM THE BOTTLE! : The needs of the many outweigh the few… I’m sorry, but it is only logical that we-- : NO! I will NOT let another person die tonight! He runs for Kaito, trying to get the bottle -- but Kaito dodges him, sidestepping to stand between Bon and Kamen. : Kid, that bottle is probably the last chance we got to salvage whatever’s left in Kaoru’s mind. : We will also have the answers to solve everything, not just for Sazanami but for all of Avalon. : Can’t risk that just for one person. : But if we get these answers over the life of someone, one of our own… : Then what kind of victory is that? : That is no justice, not that I can stand for! Just give him the bottle. Nicholas doesn’t need telling twice: as Kaito lowers his guard, distracted by Hanako’s words, the prince grabs the bottle and edges cautiously towards Inoue. The Drowzee’s smirk returns, brandishing the still struggling Eboshi and her jingling ribbon noose to the prince as he draws near. He’s about to give the bottle to him -- but he’s stopped by Hanako. : Hold for a moment, Aetherian… Hear me, Inoue: you will let Eboshi go unharmed… but know that once you have done so-- : We will never give up hunting you or that bottle. You shall be brought to justice, even if I have to drag you to Giratina’s gates myself! : I’d like to see your prissy ass try~ Put the bottle on the ground, boy, nice and slow. Nicholas scowls but obeys, placing the bottle on the floor and backing away. The Drowzee gazes hungrily at the bottle then smirks and bows mockingly, forcing Eboshi into a bow as well. : Well, this has been fun, but I must dash. I doubt very much that we will meet again -- except in your nightmares~ He releases Eboshi, the ribbon instantly coming loose and falling to the floor with a jangling clank before he shoves her across the room. Quickly, Inoue scoops up the swirl patterned bottle from the floor and pulls another smaller bottle from his robes, tossing it onto the ground in a fluid motion. The small bottle shatters, releasing a cloud of smoke; when it fades, Inoue is gone, and Eboshi is on her hands and knees on the floor, horn drooping behind her head as she gasps and wheezes for air. : (helping her off the floor) You okay, Eboshi? : J-Just my pride. (she rubs her neck, coughing again in attempt to rid herself of the hoarseness plaguing her voice) Nothing that can’t heal. : Though I wish I could stop causing all these problems in the first place… : You’re safe now, Eboshi. That’s what matters. : Like HELL it does! Why’d you do that, you damn deer! And you, you STUPID brat, why I oughta--! : You “oughta” bite your tongue. Not everyone is like you, an assassin uncaring of anyone besides his own skin. : (grits his teeth angrily) : Takes one selfish ‘mon to know one, and besides, you don’t really care about the other warlords, ‘cause if you did, you’d insist we turn Kaoru into bacon on account of Nobuhide’s death. : W-What? Nobuhide… is dead?! : Oh yeah, that’s right, you didn’t hear the news. It’s true, Nobuhide is dead thanks to that swine behind you. : T-That’s still no reason to abandon our morality and let someone die. Only unscrupulous ‘mons like yourself would think in such a way! : (holding up his hands for peace) What’s done is done. There is no point in arguing over what cannot be changed. We need to focus on what to do now. : How ‘bout we go with plan A, throw a bottle at her and see what it does? : Are you usually this dense? : We don’t know what that will do to her! : It can’t make her any worse, that’s for damn sure. : I say we try. I mean, we have to do something... look at her… : … Ha… ya… te... : … Fine. Do it. Kamen moves close to Kaoru, pulls the stopper off the bottle with orange-yellow smoke, and wafts it under Kaoru’s nose. Her reaction is immediate: eyes widening, lips quivering, crying freely once more. : S-So much sadness, I-I am -- no, Father, I’m sorry I couldn’t -- don’t leave, don’t let him kill -- (breaking down in sobs) : (closing the bottle) That did not go as expected. : We cannot do that again; you will have to get your answers later. It will break her beyond repair if we guess incorrectly again. : So what are we supposed to do, twiddle our thumbs? : Go back to Sho. Tell him what happened here. You mentioned that you found a way to dispel Wei-Guang, yes? Then go and use it. : I will stay here and look after Kaoru… : I’ll stay too. : I-If you want my help, that is... : … Yes, that would be much appreciated. : Very well. Everyone, we must return to the carts and make haste to Nobuhide-sama’s lands. The coastline is likely where Wei-Guang will land. : How long will it take us to get there? : We will have to go through Sho-sama’s lands to get there, and with the weather growing worse by the second… The journey will take several days, if we do not make any stops. : Days shoved into those freakin’ carts? Oh joy. : You better go then… Good luck.